Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra Artists

Artists

Shen Yun is home to an impressive number of accomplished musicians.
They hail from five continents, joined together by a wish to share the
glory of the Western symphonic tradition and China’s cultural heritage with the
world. All members of the Symphony Orchestra are also members of Shen Yun
Performing Arts who accompany Shen Yun’s dance performances during its
touring season.

Featured Artists

Milen Nachev

Conductor

Milen Nachev is a conductor well known for his strong musicality and extensive repertoire of symphonic works, operas, and ballets. A native of Bulgaria, he is a graduate of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, where he earned his master’s degree in Symphony and Opera Conducting. He served as music director and principal conductor of several major Eastern European orchestras, and his recordings have been regularly broadcast by the BBC and Radio France. Since joining Shen Yun in 2012, he has conducted over 500 performances worldwide, including at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Tokyo Opera City, and many other celebrated concert halls.

Jing Xian

Composer

Jing Xian became a professional pipa (Chinese lute) player at the remarkable young age of 15. During her four years at the China Conservatory, she pursued studies in composition, music literature, and ethnomusicology. Many musical pieces written by her have won composition prizes. Later, Jing Xian was awarded a scholarship to Oxford University to pursue a master’s and a doctorate in ethnomusicology. She has also studied computer-based composition and music technology at Britain’s Reading University.

Junyi Tan

Composer

Junyi Tan studied music at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and formerly served as a pianist and accordionist with China Opera and Dance Theater. An active member of the community in his new home of the U.S., he served as director of the San Francisco Silicon Valley Choir and as a committee member on the San Pablo City Arts Committee.

Tian Ge

Tenor

Tian Ge is the Gold Prize winner of the All-China Music Competition (2004), the winner of the Northern California Olympic Arts Festival Vocal Competition (1998), recipient of the Best Musician Award from Armstrong Atlantic State University (1999), and second-place winner in New Tang Dynasty Television’s 2008 and 2010 International Chinese Vocal Competitions. He is a former member of Opera San Jose, and sang lead roles in operas such as Madama Butterfly and Rigoletto.

Min Jiang

Soprano

Min Jiang has had a flourishing career that began at age 17, when she was selected to perform professionally as a featured soloist with the Heilongjiang Province Arts Troupe. She has received coaching in both Chinese folk singing and Western vocal methods from many accomplished voice teachers, and has been an adjudicator for the New Tang Dynasty Television International Chinese Vocal Competitions since their inception in 2007. Since joining Shen Yun Performing Arts, she has given over 1,100 performances on many of the world’s great stages.

Haolan Geng

Soprano

Known for her formidable and emotive voice, Haolan Geng won the gold medal at the First Music Competition of the Guangdong Arts Festival in 2007. A graduate of the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music, her 2008 graduation recital earned her critical acclaim. She later went on to star with the Guangdong Opera Company, and gained international attention in 2009 upon winning first prize in New Tang Dynasty Television’s International Chinese Vocal Competition.

Xiaochun Qi

Erhu Soloist

Xiaochun Qi is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1991, she received the Performer’s Award at the 14th “Spring of Shanghai” International Erhu Competition. From 2004 to 2006 she performed in New Tang Dynasty Television’s annual Chinese New Year productions. Since joining Shen Yun Performing Arts in 2006, she has performed to tremendous acclaim while touring with the company.

Lu Sun

Erhu

Lu Sun served as principal erhuist of the Jilin Province Ji Theatre orchestra for seven years, touring China and Japan. She gave solo performances in China’s major cities before joining Shen Yun Performing Arts in 2014.

Linda Wang

Erhu

Linda Wang became a professional erhu player at the remarkable young age of 15. Raised in a musical family, she started learning both the erhu and violin at age 7, and has studied under several renowned erhuists. She studied at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts in both California and New York.

Fiona Zheng

Violin

Fiona Zheng started ear training at age 3 and began learning the violin with her father at age 5. She has won many first prizes in China for her violin performance. Having attended New York’s Fei Tian College on a full scholarship, she has performed six seasons as a member of Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra, including as a soloist at Carnegie Hall.

Kaspar-Laurenz Martig

Trumpet

Former principal trumpet of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Essen Opera, and for seven years the North German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Kaspar-Laurenz Martig has played in numerous recordings for CD and otherwise. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater in Hamburg. He was the first prize winner of the German national competition “Jugend musiziert” (trumpet & piano category) in 1995 and 1997, of the Concertino Praga in 1998, of the Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg in 2002, and of the Lions Club (Germany) National Music Competition in 2005.

Astrid Martig

Concertmaster

Astrid Martig is a former member of the Kiel Opera Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and the North German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. She studied at the Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater Hannover (Germany). She was awarded a prize from the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra and a scholarship from the Marie-Luise Imbusch Foundation, and held solo recitals at the Laeisz Music Hall in Hamburg in 2004 and at the Festival International de Musique Symphonique d'El Jem in 2007.

Aleksander Velichko

Bassoon

Recognized for his extraordinary musicality and superb technique, Aleksander Velichko is the former principal bassoon of the Moscow State Symphony. He has also held the assistant principal position in Russia’s other most prominent orchestras, including the Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, and the National Philharmonic of Russia. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate (equivalent to a U.S. doctorate) degrees in bassoon performance at the prestigious Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, and performed as a soloist with the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra.

Pavlo Baishev

Trombone

A distinguished and experienced player, Pavlo Baishev is the former assistant principal trombone of the National Opera of Ukraine, a position he held for 16 years. He also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Kyiv Classic Orchestra, Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Choir, as well as the Kyiv Virtuosi chamber orchestra. Winner of the Grand Prix of the International Competition of Young Performers (Kiev, 2002), and second place winner of the Ukrainian National Competition for Brass and Percussion (2004), he studied at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate (equivalent to a U.S. doctorate) degrees.

Eric Robins

Trumpet

Eric Robins holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree from New England Conservatory. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, among others, and is former principal trumpet of the Daegu Symphony Orchestra (Korea). His fellowships include the Mabel Louise Riley Scholarship (New England Conservatory), National Orchestral Institute, Round Top International Music Festival, and Bar Harbor Brass.

Vladimir Zemtsov

Trumpet

Vladimir Zemtsov’s glowing, powerful tone has led his brass section across Europe in the performance of classics such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and many others while serving as principal trumpet of the Russian State Ballet of Siberia. He previously held positions with orchestras in Moscow and other cities. He earned a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance at Russia’s Krasnoyarsk State Academy of Music and Theatre.

Alexandru Moraru

Trombone

Alexandru Moraru served as principal trombone of the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra (Illinois), the Adrian Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), and the Transylvania State Philharmonic. In 2012, his ensemble won the International Trombone Association Kai Winding Jazz Ensemble Competition in Paris and the Eastern Trombone Workshop’s National Jazz Ensemble Competition in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Romania, his master’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and his doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Alistair Crawford

Trombone

Alistair Crawford has performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, and the Melbourne Opera Orchestra, among others. He earned a bachelor of music with honors at the University of Melbourne and a graduate diploma of professional music practice at the University of Tasmania. When studying at the University of Melbourne, he received the Lady Turner Award for the most promising musician, and pursued later studies at the Australian National Academy of Music.

Chia-jung Lee

Flute

Winner of University of Texas Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, second prize winner of the National Young Artist Competition at Mid-South Flute Festival, and first prize winner of the Kaohsiung City Music Competition (Taiwan), Chia-Jung Lee was a recipient of the Certificate of Recognition of Outstanding Doctoral Recital from the University of Texas Butler School of Music. She holds a doctoral degree in flute performance from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree from Sun Yat-Sen University (Taiwan).

Yevgeniy Reznik

Clarinet

Yevgeniy Reznik holds a doctorate in clarinet performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was recognized with an Outstanding Doctoral Recital. He won the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Woodwind Division Competition, State Competition, and Collegiate Competition. He attended as a fellow the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival – Yale School of Music, and Y. Mravinsky International Music Festival in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He ranked as top clarinetist and alternate to overall winner in the 2005 MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Division Competition in the state of Michigan. A native of Ukraine, he came to the United States at age 17 to attend Interlochen Arts Academy on a full scholarship.